Over the weekend I was thinking to myself if there is anywhere you need to self isolate, and still have access to great food and drink, then surely it must be Northern Ireland. We have an amazing range of food and drink producers, from the large scale producers who supply GB and beyond, right down to the small cider, beer and spirit producers. That’s why l really cannot understand why people here are continuing to panic buy a range of goods from toilet rolls to UHT milk.There’s really no need for it. Talking to local supermarket bosses, I gather people are even lining up early in the morning to strip goods before the staff have time to put these on the shelves. It is encouraging to see some retailers set aside time for vital healthcare staff working long hours, as well as vulnerable people.

Grocery retailers have highly sophisticated and robust planning systems that balance demand and supply. I’ve heardthat sales of pasta, canned meat and tinned soups spiked by 60 percent in the first week of March with the Prime Minister estimating that £1Billion additional food and drink is stockpiled.

We have an abundance of good food and drink readily available from local suppliers including our farms and processors and I’d urge shoppers here to buy local wherever possible. You can count on the provenance and complete traceability of food that’s grown here, not flown here.

We have a tremendous variety of fresh and packaged food readily available from hygiene-conscious producers. And we have an abundance of premium meat, fish and seafood, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, ready meals, snacks, sides and confectionery from local producers. Why stockpile UHT milk when there’s plenty of fresh and nutritious milk from our farms and dairy companies?

Buying local will help ensure the future of our farmers and processors and thereby secure employment across Northern Ireland. Many of our artisan and smaller producers, as I mentioned last week, are now facing severe cash problems,especially since prudent decisions by local councils have led to the suspension of most outdoor food markets. Many of these self- employed businesses may not qualify for financial support from the Northern Ireland Executive.

More needs to be done to help self-employed artisans over short-term cash flow and in the months ahead.  These companies are the true innovators of the food and drink industry and a great source of delicious and original food and drink. It would be terrible to see some award winning entrepreneurs, being blown away in the current crisis.  Other European countries, most notably Ireland, are helping the self-employed to survive.

I’d also ask the supermarkets and other smaller food retailershere to offer our artisan and smaller food and drink companies opportunities to reach their shoppers. This would help to get over the problem of a lack of awareness among many shoppers of exactly what is local. Perhaps they could provide safe mini market opportunities on-site. Our delis and independent grocers are already doing whatever they can.

I was also encouraged by the decision by ASDA to promise to pay smaller suppliers as quickly as possible. I hope other supermarkets follow ASDA’s lead.

It’s not all gloom and doom. I’ve been heartened by the offers of employment by food processors here for hospitality and other workers made redundant due to COVID-19. They include a number of Food NI members including Finnebroguein Downpatrick, Irwin’s Bakery, Craigavon, Linden Foods in Dungannon, Mash Direct in Comber and Moy Park, also headquartered in Craigavon. Also groups of chefs are coming together to cook for those in need.

We need to stand together to safeguard our people, especially the vulnerable, and do whatever we can to aid the local economy and employment.  Stay safe.

Ewings Seafood, Northern Ireland’s leading fishmonger, has introduced a home delivery service offering fresh and healthy fish.

Based on the Shankill Road in Belfast, the company is providing fish boxes delivered in the city by the company’s11-strong fleet on refrigerated vans. Fish parcels of at least £25 can be ordered and paid for by phone whenever possible for same day delivery. The shop continues to be open to customers.

Director Crawford Ewing explains: “We want to help existing and new customers, who are now unable to visit our shop, to still be able to enjoy healthy and nutritious fish at this very difficult time and so we decided to introduce our first-ever home delivery service. If people call our shop and specify either fresh cod and salmon and smoked salmon they want and pay by card, we’ll deliver straight to their door,” he adds.

The company will also slice and prepare the fish for easy cooking. The company sources fresh fish from trawlers mostly landing daily in Kilkeel.

Ewing’s Seafoods in Belfast, the leading Northern Ireland fish and seafood retailer, has gained the highest global standard for quality food, processing and safety for consumers.

The family business, which has been processing and selling seafood to other retailers as well as leading hotels and restaurants and directly to shoppers, on the Shankill Road for over a century has just been awarded for the sixth consecutive year the British Retail Consortium (BRC) hugely important double A star rating, its highest certificate for a food business.

Ewing’s now supplies major retailers such as Sainsbury’s and top chefs in over 300 restaurants with a range of fresh and processed seafood especially its multi-award winning smoked salmon for which it has won a series of UK Great Taste Awards. A smoked cod loin also gained three gold stars for outstanding taste and quality in the Great Taste Awards.

The company recently completed a new smokery at its Belfast plant for curing fresh and organic fish especially its salmon and cod. It has been smoking fish since its establishment in 1911.

Refuge Hot Chocolate, the award winning producer of delicious thick liquid chocolate, has launched a new and unique Belgian chocolate spread.

Refuge, a social enterprise based in Belfast, has created a spread which is less than half the carbs and sugar of the market leader. The product is made from fair trade cacao and is free-from from palm oil, dairy, nuts, gluten, eggs and wheat.

The new product from Refuge, which has woman a major award in the Irish National Food Awards and continues the small company’s longstanding support for Flourish, a registered charity caring for victims of international trafficking, especially women and children, retails at £3.95 for a 174g jar.

Tara Mullan, who created the small food business in Belfast in 2017, commenting on the new and unique chocolate spread, says: “It’s very unusual to get a chocolate spread that is both dairy and nut free. We’ve achieved this after extensive research and development.

“Another feature of the chocolate spread is that – unlike our original chocolate liquid – the product does not have to be refrigerated.  What this means is that it’s easier to get shops to stock our ambient products. We can also post the product unlike our refrigerated range,” adds Tara.

In addition to its network of stockists, Refuge Hot Chocolate also sells the new spread and other products from its website.

A graduate in Fine and Applied Arts from Ulster University, Tara, a volunteer with Flourish, has developed a success smaller food business. Her products are all based on her own recipes and have been listed by Lidl on the island of Ireland for 200 supermarkets.

“We have several other products including liquid chocolate that can be enjoyed hot or cold, thick chocolate milkshake, solid hot chocolate Melts and ourhot chocolate Blend (finely ground chocolate and other magical things). 

“We offer retail and wholesale sizes,” continues Tara. “Our products are fair trade and as waste free as possible, nut free, egg free and gluten free.  We also have other dairy free options.”

Linden Foods, a Northern Ireland specialist in premium meat products for major retailers, has won a top award in the influential Food Management Industry Today (FMT) awards.

Based in Dungannon, county Tyrone, Linden won the Best Red Meat Product for The Daddy of all Steaks created for Marks and Spencer.

Linden was also highly commended in the following categories:

Best New Product Development for Marks and Spencer Food Vietnamese Pork;

Best Red Meat Product for Marks and Spencer Food for Wagyu Fillet Steak;

Best Red Meat Product for Marks and Spencer Food for Large Beef Wellington;

Best Red Meat Product for Marks and Spencer Food King Arthur Roasting Joint; and

Best Poultry Product for Marks and Spencer Food for Chicken Schnitzel.

In addition, Linden was a finalist in the New Product Development for Pork Saltimbocca.

Linden Foods, now part of Ireland’s ABP, has long been a market leader within the Northern Ireland fresh meat processing industry, sourcing and processing top quality beef and lamb.

The 2020 Food Management Today Industry Award winners with guest presented by top chef Michel Roux Jr. at a gala luncheon in the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, London.

Winners of the awards, as voted for by the readers of Meat Management’s sister magazine Food Management Today, were judged by industry experts.

The annual FMT Food Industry Awards recognise the hard work and excellence of food processors and manufacturers across the UK food sector as well as trade organisations, ingredients suppliers, machinery and equipment companies, packaging, product innovations, people and training.

Many of the UK’s leading companies and retailers participated and key food industry movers and shakers came together at the Awards Ceremony to celebrate the best of the best.

The awards are in two parts. Readers are invited to vote in seven categories, while manufacturers and retailers can nominate products for entry into one or more of the nine product categories which will be judged by industry experts. The product categories for 2020 were judged at the test kitchens located at the Harper Adams Regional Food Academy.

Food Management Today editor, Pam Brook, said: “These annual awards are eagerly anticipated and have become a great success story. They are truly unique and represent the highest standards in product, service and innovation across the sector. The awards offer a brilliant opportunity to recognise the work that is going on and the progress being achieved in so many areas.”

It’s November and that means the penultimate episode of this year’s Rare Breed – A Farming Year on UTV, with this episode seeing our farming families brave the colder weather to continue their important winter work.

We’re off first to the Beef and Lamb Championships at the EIKON Exhibition Centre where Tyrone Farmer Jack Smyth is showing two of his own animals, as well as helping other farmers with theirs.  It’s a busy time, “You do nothing for two hours and then everything has be done in 5 minutes! “Jack laughs, as he races round looking for black spray paint!  We also find out about little superstitions that Jack has, borne out of earlier successes in the show ring.  Find out if the successes continue for him!

In Crossgar, Robbie Neill is just coming off a night shift at the fire station and before he even goes home, he calls in to feed his pigs housed at his grandfather’s old farm. They all tuck in to their meal and raw vegetables, and Robbie explains the wisdom behind individual buckets for certain bossy pigs!

Back in Newtownards, Valentine Hodges is in her kitchen working with the honey.   She’s jarring up honey for sale at the various winter markets she will attend. She pours very carefully commenting, “the bees worked very hard to make this,” and ensures none goes to waste.  She explains the science behind why honey is so good at treating winter coughs and colds.  After jarring up 30 pots of lovely clear honey, Valentine sets to work using the beeswax to make hand lotions and moisturisers. She claims not to like cooking, but loves making up these recipes!

Mark McConnell is at his own farm outside Antrim this week, where vet Cahir McAuley is scanning his female llama herd for pregnancies.  Mark highlights how well natured the llamas are and that they are very low maintenance when it comes to giving birth.  He also talks about selling single male llamas to sheep farmers as they are great at protecting a herd.  He says, “I’m looking forward to lambing and calving in February when the whole cycle starts again.”

Finally we head to back to Tyrone where Eimear McGovern is in her farm shop in Omagh.  It might be too early for some but Santa is on her mind as the shop is open for a special evening toy sale. She talks about being a manager so young in the shop, but says she “can stand on my own two feet, and work with them the very best,” when talking about customers trying to get the better of her.  Sister Orlagh also works part time in the shop and both are enjoying the toy sale along with the other staff. Orla says, “I’m thankful to have her as a boss and my sister.”  The sale goes well.

UTV’s Mark McFadden narrates the series, sponsored by Moy Park.   Rare Breed – A Farming Year continues on Thursday 2nd April at 8.30pm on UTV.

Posh Nosh is one of Ireland’s leading catering companies. Whether you require delicious food for a corporate event, wedding or party, we will offer you the same professional advice and personal service throughout.

Posh Nosh has over 30 years’ experience in creating fabulous food and delivering innovative events. We are passionate about using quality ingredients sourced from local suppliers. We pride ourselves in exceeding our client’s expectations thus gaining a reputation of which we are incredibly proud.

Our second-to-none service and meticulous attention to detail from our team, will guarantee that your special day will be much better than anything you may have wished for.

Due to our vast experience in catering in many venues throughout Ireland, we know that you want a ‘one-of-a-kind’ day to remember. Our professional team will be on hand to help you achieve this. Our menus offer an extensive selection of choices for your wedding, from canapés through to supper, and everything in between. Even brunch the day after!

Our skilled chefs are always looking for new dishes to offer and will be more than happy to discuss what you might have in mind to design your ideal menu.

Why did we do it?

We at posh nosh over the last 30 years have constantly innovated and back in 1989 we were one of the first catering companies around and being ahead of our time in plating meals. We offered restaurant quality meals in

We have offered a pantry range over the years, but the COVID-19 has forced us into development stage in a quick away, we over night opened shop and are our continually developing our menu product offering and the packaging.

“We have always dabbled in this pantry this is the first time we have found the time to launch our online pantry. We hope this will help our local community, staff and friends. Being in the hospitality industry we are being hit the hardest and we are doing all we can to keep our staff in employment in this unchartered times” Lynda Sherwood, Owner  Posh Nosh Ireland.

“It is tough time for any business, hospitality and events are being

“We are in a perfect position to provide a service to our local community in their and our time of need. We are delighted, to have developed our Pantry menu on our new online format. In terms of COVID-19 we have taken every precaution that we can, we have reduced staff on our base in Bangor so at a max we have 3-5 people on site. When collecting meals, we have our catering van that means a no touch approach to this, no doors no waiting in stores in crowded areas, we are totally cashless. Of course we are continuing our high standards of food hygiene and maintaining our 5 star hygiene rating.” Philip Davison Front of House Manger Posh Nosh Ireland

This week Menu: (bookable until Saturday)

Chicken Curry (family pack- feeds up to 4 people) £22.50

Chilli Con Carne – Family pack (feeds up to 4 people)£22.50

Pasta Bolognese with coleslaw (Family pack, serves up to 4 people) £22.50

Chicken with Bacon & leek and creamy mash (Family pack feeds up to 4 people) £22.50

VEGAN Thai Green Curry, with sweet potatoes chickpeas and spinach (family pack feeds up to 4 people) £20.00

 

Next week menu (will be online from Thursday):

Beef Italianne with rice £22.50

Slow cooked tender pieces of beef tomatoes & black olives and freshly steamed rice

Ramp of Lamb & Mashed potatoes £22.50

Roasted Rump of lamb with red wine rosemary & green lentils

Green Thai Chicken & Rice £22.50

Chicken breast pieces with fresh coriander, coconut milk juniper & chili

Pork Calvados with freshly steamed rice £22.50

Pieces of pork fillet in an apple & calvados cream

Selection box – all 4 dishes for £22 for individuals

 

Mother’s Day Package:

3 Course Mother Day Menu From £8.50 (contains 4 meals)

Soup -Velvety Carrot and Coriander soup

Main Course -Daube of Beef, slow cooked with baby onions & bacon lardons, with creamy mashed potatoes

Dessert – Rich Chocolate Brownie

All meals are easily microwaved, cooked in a bag or saucepan and ready within minutes. They are prepared in our 5 star hygiene rated kitchen.

The Logistics:

 It is packaged in our sterile kitchen – into boxes – it is then labelled and placed in out blast chiller

It will last 3-4 days in your fridge most products can be frozen

Bulk orders can be given a bespoke package by calling or emailing us

We are able to mass produce meals if required (500+ a day)

 

Collections from next week take place on  Tuesday & Friday between 3-6pm

Collected from our trailer (no contact no doors outdoors)

Delivery available 6-8.30pm and we will cover Belfast, Comber, Ards, Donaghadee & Bangor

COLLECTION:

All meals must be collected from : unit 15, 16 Balloo Ave, Bangor BT19 7QT

Time : between 3 -6pm

Please note all meals are to be collected from our posh nosh trailer, which will be located outside our offices therefore no doors handles or confined spaced to tackle, making this this a great way to get a tasty meal with no hassle.

Contact details

07703728877

028 9145 9090

info@poshnoshireland.com

www.poshnoshpantry.com